Black Snow
by littlebearcub
Summary: After a tragic accident, a rogue kit is taken into a nearby Clan. He may have been adopted into the society, but he's certainly not popular. Faced with bullies and hate, life in a Clan doesn't quite live up to his expectations. Yet a rogue soon becomes the least of their worries when StarClan deliver an ominous message, and the Clan must brace themselves for the oncoming darkness.
1. Allegiances

**SPOILER ALERT, THIS IS UPDATED AS THE STORY PROGRESSES AND IS HERE FOR YOUR REFERENCE AS WELL AS MY OWN**

 **Erin Hunter owns Warriors, I merely own everything else**

* * *

 **RippleClan**

Leader: Redstar - Slender red tabby she-cat with long limbs and copper brown eyes

Deputy: Whiteblaze - Tall slick white tom with bright green eyes

Medicine Cat: Frogtail - Small spotted dark brown tabby with black paws, soft fur and light amber eyes  
Apprentice: Darkeyes - Black she-cat with sharp claws and dark brown eyes, one of which is blind

Warriors:  
Reedwhisker - Tall light brown tabby tom with white tipped ears and wide yellow eyes  
Pebblespot - Grey spotted tabby she-cat with pale blue eyes  
Apprentice: Tawnypaw  
Brackenpath - Black and white tom with a long tail and grey eyes  
Foghaze - Bulky silver tabby tom with a white chest, long legs and bright green eyes  
Apprentice: Marshpaw  
Heathersky - Pale grey she-cat with a darker muzzle and paws, a torn ear and blue eyes  
Tallstem - Tall light brown tabby she-cat with copper brown eyes  
Apprentice: Lightpaw  
Nightstrike - Black tom with dark brown eyes  
Minnowleap - Dark grey tabby tom with a white stripe going down his spine and amber eyes  
Apprentice: Icepaw  
Leafdrift - Lithe brown and white tom with pale yellow eyes  
Volenose - Small dark brown tom with a lighter belly and tail tip, small paws and pale green eyes  
Apprentice: Thunderpaw  
Goldsun - Ginger tabby she-cat with a white chest and yellow eyes

Apprentices:  
Marshpaw - Black tom with dark brown legs and narrow dark blue eyes  
Lightpaw - Pale ginger tabby tom with a white chest, paws and tail tip, and dark brown eyes  
Tawnypaw - Pale brown she-cat with white spotted tabby markings and pale green eyes  
Thunderpaw - Ginger and white tom with bright yellow eyes  
Icepaw - Tall white tom with silver tabby markings and dark green eyes, former rogue

Queens:  
Poppywish - Red tabby she-cat with long limbs and copper brown eyes, mother of Petalkit, Thistlekit and Duckkit (Reedwhisker's kits)  
Littlewing - Brown and white she-cat with stormy grey eyes, expecting Foghaze's kits

Elders:  
Birdchirp - Dark brown tabby she-cat with stormy grey eyes  
Russetpelt - Red tabby she-cat with blind yellow eyes, retired early after being blinded in a fox attack

 **AirClan**

Leader: Shadestar - Large battle-scarred black tom with an overhanging tooth and yellow eyes  
Apprentice: Lionpaw (small golden tabby she-cat with wide dark brown eyes)

Deputy: Lilywind - Tortoiseshell she-cat with long claws, slender legs and amber eyes

Medicine Cat: Vinetail - Slim smoky grey tom with a long tail and sky-blue eyes

Warriors:  
Stormstripe - Grey tabby tom with green eyes  
Apprentice: Leopardpaw (golden spotted tabby tom with large paws and dark green eyes)  
Dusknose - Light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes  
Apprentice: Beepaw (dark grey tabby tom with thick fur and pale blue eyes)  
Berryfall - Pale ginger tabby she-cat with white paws and dark blue eyes  
Copperfoot - Tall light brown tom with darker tabby markings and pale brown eyes  
Birdheart - Golden-brown tabby she-cat with thick fur, sharp claws and narrow yellow eyes  
Apprentice: Daisypaw (white and ginger she-cat with bright yellow eyes)  
Harespring - White and brown tom with long limbs and grey eyes  
Featherbreeze - Small silver tabby tom with dark green eyes  
Hawkswoop - Lithe black tom with long limbs and piercing blue eyes  
Deerlegs - White and brown she-cat with dark green eyes  
Swiftsnow - Pale grey tom with white tipped ears and amber eyes  
Sunspots - Golden spotted tabby she-cat with sharp teeth and wide yellow eyes

Queens:  
Blossomwhisker - Tortoiseshell she-cat with pale green eyes, mother of Coldkit and Windykit (Stormstripe's sons)

Elders:  
Tinyclaw - Cream and white she-cat with yellow eyes, retired early due to losing a leg, former deputy  
Batwing - Dark grey tom with black tabby markings and yellow eyes

 **PineClan**

Leader: Silverstar - Tall silver tabby tom with white paws and grey eyes

Deputy: Nighthawk - Small black tom with a white tipped tail, slit ears and yellow eyes

Medicine Cat: Thornfang - Dark brown tabby tom with black tipped ears and amber eyes  
Apprentice: Cherrypaw - Dark ginger tabby she-cat with dark brown eyes

Warriors:  
Sandwhisker - Pale ginger she-cat with tufted ears, long limbs and amber eyes  
Mudfoot - Bulky black tom with dark brown legs and yellow eyes  
Apprentice: Ratpaw (tall lithe black tom with amber eyes)  
Seednose - Lanky light grey spotted tabby tom with a white muzzle and dark brown eyes  
Ivyheart - Slender light grey tabby she-cat with white paws and bright blue eyes  
Apprentice: Leafpaw (black and brown tom with narrow yellow eyes)  
Snowflight - White tom with light brown eyes  
Apprentice: Skypaw (small silver tabby she-cat with white tipped ears and grey eyes)  
Acornbranch - Fluffy dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes  
Dovecry - White and silver she-cat with tufted ears and bright blue eyes  
Beetlestrike - Sleek black tom with long limbs, one white paw and wide light brown eyes  
Ferntail - Pale ginger tabby she-cat with a fluffy tail and yellow eyes  
Brownleaf - Small dark brown tom with white flecks and narrow amber eyes  
Ravenshade - Black tom with a long tail and grey eyes

Queens:  
Owlswoop - White and brown she-cat with tufted ears, a long scar across her shoulders and piercing blue eyes, mother of Dustkit and Bubblekit (Acornbranch's kits)  
Mossbrook - Dark grey she-cat with black tabby markings, sharp claws and dark green eyes, expecting Silverstar's kits  
Embersky - Bright ginger tabby she-cat with one white paw and yellow eyes, expecting Seednose's kits

Elders:  
Oakfire - Lithe dark brown tom with sharp teeth and amber eyes, retired early after paralysis in his back legs after falling out of a tree  
Leafscar - Battle-scarred tortoiseshell tom with yellow eyes  
Whisperheart - Partially deaf dark silver tabby she-cat with white tipped ears and bright green eyes, former medicine cat

 **Outside The Clans:**

Travis - Dark brown tom with a white underbelly and amber eyes, kittypet  
Hornet - Battle-scarred dark grey she-cat with oak brown eyes, rogue  
Felix - Black tom with white tipped ears and yellow eyes, rogue  
Pearl - Tall silver tabby she-cat with grey eyes, rogue  
Jess - Ginger tabby she-cat with yellow eyes, rogue  
Wild - Golden spotted tabby she-cat with amber eyes, rogue  
Patch - Small black and white tom with a long tail and grey eyes, rogue  
Missy - Pale silver tabby she-cat with a white tipped tail, muzzle and paws and dark green eyes, rogue  
Spark - Bright ginger tabby she-cat with yellow eyes, rogue


	2. Prologue

Ice awoke from his peaceful sleep when he suddenly felt a chill ruffle his fur. Usually he'd be safe and warm nestled against his group, but something felt very peculiar indeed.

Once he'd opened his eyes properly and glanced around at the other sleeping kits, he immediately saw the problem. _Where's Hornet?_

Hornet was the oldest of the cats in the group, but she was a formidable foe. Despite the many scars she bore, she was not a cat anybody wanted to cross, especially a kit like Ice. She'd only have to look him in the eye to terrify the life out of his tiny fragile body.

"Show yourself, intruder!"

Ice's ears pricked up when he heard her familiar growl at the entrance of the abandoned wooden Twoleg nest they considered their home. This intruder would certainly be the most activity they'd had in moons; it beat the time a fox had casually strolled by with surprisingly no malicious intent for sure. Naturally his curiosity got the better of him, so Ice quietly abandoned the limited warmth of the other sleeping cats and ventured a little way away from the entrance, hiding behind a small three-legged object that he assumed had been left by Twolegs.

Another cat - the intruder, Ice assumed - had appeared from the shadows. Hornet let out a snarl. "Who are you?"

"I bring no trouble," the intruder responded smoothly. "I'm Whiteblaze. RippleClan deputy."

A Clan cat? Ice had only heard stories, and now there was a real Clan cat practically in front of him! Whiteblaze towered over Hornet no problem, with slick white fur and a stocky frame. His bright green eyes sparkled with a wisdom far beyond his years, though in Ice's mind he didn't look much older than his mother, Pearl. He was certainly a handsome cat.

To his surprise, Hornet relaxed a little, her formerly bristled grey fur now calmed completely as if she was talking to an old friend. "There are a lot of cats in these parts who would pay to see you dead," she mewed, a tinge of amusement noted by Ice. "You're taking a risk coming here, though you and I both know you think the rules don't apply to you. What brings you here?"

"I just wanted to warn you all to be careful. You're straying closer to the border than the Clan like, and Redstar won't take too kindly if she catches any of you." Whiteblaze remarked warily.

"We've been _forced_ to the river!" Hornet spat, her manner taking a sudden change. "We're struggling to feed ourselves-"

"You can't steal prey from our territory. We have more mouths to feed," the white tom cut her off calmly, though Ice could see the regret in his eyes as he spoke. "I respect you have youngsters, but you can venture elsewhere. We are bound by the Warrior Code and the power of StarClan to stick to our territory. Leafbare is incredibly harsh and I sympathise, but we are facing the same hardships."

"I honestly don't know what Pearl saw in you, but it certainly wasn't sympathy!" Hornet snapped. "Like I said, we're _starving_ ; you are incredibly selfish cats, depriving us of food to feed yourselves! I don't understand how you can't spare us even _one_ fish!"

Her words brought a wave of confusion upon Ice. What did his mother have in common with a Clan cat, of all things? How did she know him?

Hornet's remarks appeared to have unsettled the deputy, for he started to speak with far less confidence than previously. "Pearl respected me for what I was and still am. Should she need it, I would certainly ensure she would have a place in the Clan. We could certainly use her abilities."

"She has no interest in you _or_ your Clan," Hornet growled. "Now, I suggest you head out on your way before I slash your eyes out."

Whiteblaze, realising the threat she posed, took a step back and dipped his head before hurrying off back into the shadows, leaving Hornet to turn. "You can come out, Ice. I smelt you long ago, foolish kit."

Ice's heart stopped as he slowly moved into Hornet's line of sight, shivering as he lifted his head to look her in her oak coloured eyes. "I-I'm sorry, I heard y-you talking to someone: I was cur-curious." he stammered nervously.

"Try not to look so terrified," she snorted, flicking her battle-scarred ears. "Anyway, you should be asleep. It's late."

"How does he know my mother?" Ice blurted out.

A peculiar emotion flickered in Hornet's tired eyes, one that Ice was unable to deduce. "This isn't a discussion I'm going to have with you right now. Go to sleep."

Unwilling to disobey her, he immediately returned to his spot in the bundle of sleeping cats and felt the familiar comfort of Hornet's soft grey fur warming him as he was lulled to sleep.

However, his questions regarding the encounter tonight certainly hadn't left his head.


	3. Chapter 1

"Hey, wake up lazybones!"

Ice blindly batted in the direction of the voice with a pitiful whimper as he did so. "Go away, Spark! I don't wanna get up!"

"Wake up, wake up, wake up!" Spark chanted, repeating it several times until Ice sprung away from her, glaring at her as he felt frustration build up inside his tiny body. "What's the big rush? I was happy sleeping!" he grumbled.

"Well everyone else is awake and you're the last, so I decided to wake you up myself." Spark looked incredibly smug as she licked one of her forepaws. "Your siblings and I were going to play Leaders, and having you gives me an advantage. You in?"

"You've woken me up now so I may as well." Ice grumbled, which lit up Spark's face. "Great! Race ya out!"

Spark was probably the closest thing Ice had to a best friend. She was the sole daughter of the other two older rogues who resided in the area - Felix and Jess - and also the youngest by about a season, but just as energetic. She was swift for her age and seemed destined to keep that up. That would certainly do her some good, as she stuck out like a sore thumb with her fiery ginger fur. Her pelt colour certainly matched her temper, anyway.

Once Ice and Spark had emerged from the Twoleg nest into the bitterly cold wind, they headed over to Ice's three siblings who weren't far away from the entrance. The biggest of the group - his golden spotted tabby sister Wild - appeared unimpressed immediately. "That's not fair!" she complained, her amber eyes agitated.

"If you've got a problem, you can just go with Patch and Missy," Spark replied airily, lifting her head to try and give herself some degree of authority. "Ice and I can go together. We could easily tear you apart!"

"Oh really?" a black and white tom - Patch - queried playfully, crouching so his belly hit the ground. "You're no match for Patchstar and his band of fierce warriors!"

"And his trustworthy deputy, Mistyheart!" Missy chimed in, her pale silver tabby pelt bristled. She looked the most like their mother, Pearl.

Wild's face fell on the realisation she would just be a normal warrior in this game where she was used to being of higher authority. "Well, I'm Wildclaw, the greatest warrior who lived!" she announced hurriedly.

"I'm Icestar, and she's my deputy Sparkwing!" Ice proclaimed, puffing his chest out.

Without a moment's hesitation Wild hurled herself at Spark, forcing Ice to launch himself onto Missy, who squealed with surprised as she was tackled to the ground. She batted at Ice's face with her tiny white paws as he attempted to pin her down.

"Kits! Cut it out!" Hornet snarled, heading over to the game. "I won't tolerate this!"

"Oh, please don't shout so, Hornet," another voice meowed coolly. "Let kits be kits. They won't be that for much longer."

Ice paused immediately, feeling a chill creeping down his spine. The voice of defence belonged to that of Travis, a kittypet who frequented the abandoned nest frequently. He had never posed any threat to the group, but Ice didn't like him for the way he spoke to his mother. Even he, a young kit, could see that Travis admired Pearl.

"The Clans are our enemies. If you weren't so up your own behind you'd see that." Hornet scowled.

Thankfully for Ice, Hornet took his side in the debate.

Pearl padded out of the nest, confusion on her face. "Travis? Why are you here?" she queried, narrowing her grey eyes.

"Can I not visit at will?" he retorted. "I respect I don't live here, but I like wandering around. I just find myself wandering here a lot."

Pearl just shrugged. "Whatever works for you I guess. I'm going to sun myself for a bit."

"Ooh, I'll join you!" Travis offered eagerly, frustrating Ice. He didn't like this tom interfering with his mother, not one bit.

As Travis and Pearl rested in the limited (due to the fact it was still windy) warmth of the sun, Spark sat up and shook dust from her fiery pelt. "I'll race ya to the river, Ice!" she announced.

"Bring it on!" he replied playfully, speeding off before she could start running. _She's so much faster than I am, but maybe this'll show her!_

After sprinting through the towering treetops of the woodland and watching in despair as Spark soon caught up to him, the duo froze once they reached the river to catch their breath. Ice practically collapsed, allowing the harsh gales to crash onto him like a wave as he caught his breath. His friend let out a chuckle. "I'm the champion!" she proclaimed loudly.

Ice leapt up to his paws once he had the energy to, plodding over towards the river and dipping his tongue into the water. However, he underestimated how cold the water would be, and leapt back immediately once the tip of his tongue touched it. It felt as if an icicle had taken the place of his tongue, and he didn't like it. Spark let out a purr of amusement. "Too hot?"

"I hate you." Ice grumbled, returning to the river to gaze upon his reflection in the fast flowing water. He wasn't much to look at really - for his age he was fairly big, with white fur decorated with silver tabby markings as well as his huge dark green eyes - but the realisation that he was looking at himself never really sunk in. It was a huge deal to him.

"You love me really." Spark teased, fixing her yellow gaze on him. He straightened himself before responding. "Well, I'm better at jumping than you are! I could totally get across those rocks faster than you!"

Spark appeared a little concerned. "It's really windy today and the current's so strong. I don't think racing across those rocks is safe, Ice." she commented, her mew taking on an oddly serious tone.

"Scaredy-cat!" Ice taunted. "You know I'll beat you!"

"Nuh-uh!" she insisted. "Watch me!"

She ran up to the stepping stones, launching herself onto the first one with not too much difficulty, though she was struggling to keep grip on it. "I don't like this!" she cried.

"Grow up!" her friend shouted back, joining her on the rock and then jumping easily across to the third. He turned back to face Spark, who was shaking all over as she tried desperately not to slip or be blown off by the wind. "It's not hard! Just jump!"

Her eyes swallowed the rock as she contemplated her options. She was too proud to allow Ice to beat her, and he knew it. Taking a deep breath, she jumped and landed the fall, but as river water hit the rock she lost her footing and fell with a blood-curdling screech. Ice felt his heart stop. "Spark!" he screamed. "Keep your head above the water!"

His words came too late as her head disappeared under the surface.

Without thought or even contemplation, he threw himself into the driving current, submerging himself in the freezing cold water. "Spark!" he cried in hope his best friend would resurface while he tried desperately to keep himself afloat. "Spark!"

He was trying his hardest to fight the current, but the water was chilling him to the bone and he couldn't feel anything. He was so tired.

"I've got him!"

Teeth met Ice's scruff and he used the last of his energy to let out a small squeal as he was carried towards and dumped onto the shore. He still couldn't feel anything and was too numb to utter a word; the wind was doing him no favours either. However, he could feel a warm nose touching his pelt. "He's freezing," an unknown female voice mewed in concern. "Tawnypaw, can you lick his fur the wrong way? We need to keep him warm,"

Ice could feel himself being groomed by whoever Tawnypaw was, but he was too exhausted to respond. Yet it had now hit him that he'd been rescued by Clan cats.

"I think we should take him to Frogtail. It looks like he's been abandoned." the female voice decided.

"He's not a Clan cat," a male interjected unhelpfully. "I think he's one of those rogues. Redstar won't like this one bit, Pebblespot."

"There's nobody looking after him, so we'll take the duty upon ourselves. He doesn't look much younger than Tawnypaw, anyway," Pebblespot pointed out. "We can't turn him away in this state. You jumped in to save him, so you can carry him back to camp, Volenose."

As he was picked up, Ice just tried his best to keep his eyes open as his saviour - Volenose - bounded through the trees, with what he assumed were Pebblespot and Tawnypaw hot on his heels. While the events took place, what just happened finally sunk in. He'd been saved by Clan cats who probably knew the mysterious Whiteblaze who'd turned up last night. He was going to actually see a real Clan camp.

But ultimately, he'd just witnessed, and been responsible for, the death of his best friend.


	4. Chapter 2

Ice had not been prepared for all the voices as he was carried into camp. He felt physically and emotionally drained, and being talked about didn't soothe his anxieties.

"By StarClan, is that a _kit_?"

"It looks rather big! Maybe an apprentice?"

"It's all skin and bones!"

"I reckon it felt in the river, but which Clan is it from?"

"It's a rogue for sure! Can't you pick up the scent?"

"Make space!" a loud female voice barked. "Bring the kit this way, Volenose. Is he injured?"

Ice was thankful once he'd been carried away from the crowd and into a large bush, where he was placed on top of what felt like moss. A pair of concerned amber eyes met his. "I'm going to give you something to help you sleep, alright?" she told him.

He was too weak to respond, so he remained stationary as the strange cat disappeared from his line of sight and returned quickly with a large leaf firmly in her jaws, placing it down beside him. "Eat the two black seeds," she instructed. "and they should help you feel better."

Gathering the last of his strength, Ice dipped his head down and swallowed the mysterious seeds before flopping down on the ground as a wave of sleep washed over him, lulling him to a peaceful and quiet paradise.

* * *

"And he lives! Welcome back!"

Ice opened his eyes fully to see a young black she-cat watching him from a distance, a thoughtful look in her eyes as she twitched her ears. "You were lucky you were found when you were. You could've died." she remarked.

"Where am I?" he asked groggily.

"Um, RippleClan?" she chuckled in amusement. "You're in the medicine den. Oh, I'm Darkeyes by the way. I'm the medicine apprentice. Can't exactly be a warrior if you're blind."

"You're blind?" Ice repeated uneasily, which made Darkeyes chuckle again. "Only in one eye. I mean, it hasn't stopped me, I haven't exactly killed anyone yet - oh, try not to look _so_ alarmed! What's your name anyway? Where are you from?"

"Ice. I'm not a Clan cat."

Darkeyes appeared sympathetic as she took a deep sigh. "Thought as much. The water masked your scent a bit but I could still detect rogue. How'd you end up on our territory, Ice?"

"I was playing with my frie-" Ice suddenly broke off when he remembered. "Spark! Did anyone see another cat in the water?"

"You're the only one the patrol brought back. They heard you yelling and figured you'd fallen into the river. Due to the current of the river, I don't have much faith in your friend's survival. I'm sorry, but I think she's dead."

 _Dead._ The news hit Ice like a stab in the heart. _Spark's dead, and it's all my fault. I should have listened to her warning which she's now paid the price for. There's no way I could show my face back with Mother and the others; they'll hate me._

"So he's awake, I see. How's he doing?"

Darkeyes shot up to her feet and straightened herself as a small dark brown tabby she-cat entered. "He's doing just fine!" she announced hastily.

"Did you gather _that_ from your gossip fest?" the she-cat sighed, dropping a bundle before turning to face Ice. "I apologise for my apprentice: she tends to chat more than work. I'm sending her to the nursery to check on a few things, so you can go with her to settle yourself with the other kits. I'm going to have a chat with Redstar and I'll come and find you once I'm done," She turned back to face Darkeyes who shuffled her paws in embarrassment. "Do keep an eye out for any coughs. We don't want any greencough outbreaks."

Taking care not to fall, Ice steadily rose to his feet and followed Darkeyes out of the den, immediately feeling the force of the wind hitting his pelt. He could feel multiple pairs of eyes drawn to his every movement, so he did his best to not let it bother him. He refused to let these cats get to him.

He followed the black furred she-cat into what looked like an old badger sett and nearly bumped into her back leg when she came to an abrupt halt. "Just doing my rounds! I've brought this little guy with me too, so just make him comfortable will you?"

"I can certainly look after him," a ginger tabby she-cat purred. "He looks a similar age to Thunderkit. He's supposed to be apprenticed at sunset; will this kit be apprenticed with him?"

 _Apprentices are young cats training to be warriors. I'm going to be a warrior!_

"Redstar is discussing the matter with Whiteblaze and Frogtail," Darkeyes told her. "I personally think it would be a good move. We're a small Clan and we need to be ready at any time considering the recent tensions. I wouldn't be surprised if we experienced an attack soon."

Ice's heart skipped a beat on the mention of Whiteblaze. Did anyone know about his visit last night?

"Hey, come here little one," the ginger tabby cooed, gesturing for Ice to come over. "What's your name?"

"Ice." he responded simply, padding over to her.

"I'm Goldsun," she told him politely. "My son is outside but I'm sure- aha, here he comes! Thunderkit, come here!"

A ginger and white tomkit bounded over instantly, his yellow eyes bright and cheerful. His gaze reminded Ice irresistibly of Spark's eyes; they carried her playful spirit and optimistic nature. Goldsun purred affectionately and licked the top of his head. "This is Ice," she informed him. "Introduce him to the other kits and maybe the apprentices if they're around. I certainly know Tawnypaw's around."

"I need to thank this Tawnypaw, actually, if you wouldn't mind. She helped to save my life." Ice cut in, rising to meet the kit's eyes. He nodded in a friendly way. "Sure! I'm Thunderkit, by the way! Poppywish's kits are outside playing, so I'll take you to them."

Ice followed Thunderkit outside, where he suddenly hurried over to three kits who were fighting over a mossball. Tentatively, Ice followed suit, only to find himself stared at by one of the kits - a tortoiseshell she-cat with light amber eyes. She gave him a friendly sniff before giving him a bewildered expression. "Are you the rogue?" she queried nervously. On his nod, she continued. "I expected you to look scary, but you're not really. I'm Petalkit. Are you joining RippleClan?"

"Depends what's decided." Ice replied with a casual shrug of his shoulders.

The other two kits - a light brown spotted tabby she-cat and a dark brown tom with lighter brown features - bounded over with curiosity sparkling in their matching pale yellow eyes. The latter of the two was the first to speak. "I'm Thistlekit, and that's Duckkit." he announced.

"They're Redstar's nieces and nephew," Thunderkit chipped in. "She's our-"

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the Lowbranch for a Clan meeting!"

Thunderkit shot Ice an amused look. "It's as if she knew I was talking about her... oh wait, here approaches my dear mother."

Goldsun darted over, frustration clear in her yellow eyes. "Thunderkit! Your pelt looks a mess! You can't be apprenticed in _that_ state; come here!" she snapped.

 _I should probably leave them,_ Ice decided, taking humour in the situation. _I think I could really fit in here._

As multiple cats began to gather by a large tree in the centre of camp, Ice's attention was drawn to a slender red tabby she-cat standing on one of the tree's branches. She looked surprisingly young to be up there - maybe a bit older than Darkeyes - but the way she stood gave Ice the impression she held a lot of power in one paw. She definitely wasn't a cat he wanted to mess with.

"That's Redstar," Darkeyes whispered in his ear, taking him by surprise by her sudden appearance. "Leader of RippleClan. She's fair but you don't want to make an enemy of her!"

"We have two matters to deal with in this meeting," Redstar announced, her copper brown eyes scanning the crowd. "Firstly, I'd like to call Thunderkit up here,"

Ice's newfound friend made his way to the front of the crowd, the group of cats parting to allow him a smooth path. He leapt up onto the branch and Redstar turned to look at his beaming face. "Thunderkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it's time for you to become an apprentice. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Thunderpaw. Volenose will be mentoring you," she meowed, waiting paitently for the young dark brown tom to jump up. "Volenose, you may be our youngest warrior, but you have certainly proved yourself worthy of an apprentice. You have shown to be brave and intelligent, and I'm sure you'll pass these qualities and more onto Thunderpaw."

The two touched noses as the Clan chanted "Thunderpaw! Thunderpaw!"

"Apprenticeship brings me on to my second matter," Redstar continued, silencing the loud chants. "As many of you know, a patrol rescued a young kit from the river earlier today. He was alone and we feel he would be safer here, so Whiteblaze, Frogtail and I have taken the decision to offer Ice a place in the Clan."

A murmur rose from the once silence crowd as they launched into conversation, but one voice rose above the crowd. "Have we really sunk so low that we're accepting filthy _rogues_ into our Clan? They've caused us nothing but bother; you'll just be attracting all Clanless cats to our once _pure_ Clan! You're weakening us!"

"We descended from Clanless cats, Leafdrift!" a dark grey tabby tom retorted. "We're so low on warriors and a Clan could declare war on us any moment! Surely accepting this one neglected cat will do us more good than harm?"

"Thank you, Minnowleap," Redstar sighed. "So, I'd like to call Ice up here, if he'd like to."

With an encouraging dark glance from Darkeyes, Ice cautiously plodded across the short grass, keeping his eyes to his feet. He didn't want to look up and see the disapproving faces of cats that clearly didn't want him there. Upon reaching the front of the Clan, he leapt up to the branch with no difficulty. Redstar gave him a kindly face. "Ice, you have joined RippleClan, and thus will begin apprentice training. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Icepaw. Your mentor will be Minnowleap."

 _Thank goodness it's someone who will accept me._ Ice felt a wave of relief crash over him as the warrior who defended him earlier approached the branch.

"Minnowleap, you will be Icepaw's mentor. You were suggested by your former mentor Whiteblaze for not only your compassionate nature, but your superior hunting skills and quick thinking. You are a fine warrior and I feel you'll make a fantastic job training Icepaw." Redstar continued.

Icepaw closed his eyes as Minnowleap bashfully dipped his head to touch noses with him, absorbing himself in the chants of his new name.

"Icepaw! Icepaw!"


	5. Chapter 3

As the Clan split in a number of directions, Icepaw followed his new grey tabby mentor down from the Lowbranch and towards two other she-cats. The older of the two - a grey spotted tabby - dipped her head respectfully with a small smile playing on her lips. "Welcome to RippleClan, Icepaw." she purred.

 _That voice sounds familiar..._ Icepaw put two and two together and remembered who she was. He had far too much to thank her for; if Pebblespot hadn't defended his case, he wouldn't have made it back to camp in the first place. While his other saviours had been crucial in the rescue, they might've abandoned him if Pebblespot hadn't insisted on bringing him back to the Clan. With this in mind, he dipped his head to her. "Thank you for everything you did for me. I think I might've died if you and the others hadn't saved me."

"No need to flatter me; I was simply doing what any normal cat would've done," Pebblespot replied bashfully, though her pale blue eyes were shining with pride. "I know you didn't get the warmest welcome from certain cats, but I really think you'll be a wonderful addition to RippleClan. If you ever need anything at all, please don't hesitate to let me know," Her gaze then rested upon her companion. "This is my apprentice, Tawnypaw. She's only been an apprentice for about a moon, so you and Thunderpaw will probably train with her quite a lot."

Icepaw lifted his head to meet eyes with Tawnypaw. The first thing he noted about her was that she was certainly pretty, but it was more in a subtle way. She certainly wasn't a cat anyone would be drawn to immediately - she was pale in fur and eye colour - but being in the background certainly wasn't a bad thing.

"I'm glad you're okay." she mused after a short while, twitching her whiskers.

"I've really got so much to thank you for too," Icepaw replied. "You saved my life and I'm forever in your debt."

Tawnypaw tilted her head in what appeared to be embarrassment. "It's fine, honestly."

"You've had a rough day, so we'll start training tomorrow. Take this time to settle in and meet your Clanmates," Minnowleap cut in. "There are two older apprentices you'll also be sharing the apprentice's den with, so it would be good for you to make yourself known to them as well as other members of the Clan. If you ask a cat who isn't busy I'm sure they'll be more than happy to show you around the camp. The apprentice's den is that bramble thicket over by the nursery."

With a polite nod of thanks, Icepaw padded off in the direction of the thicket and crawled in. It was fairly dark due to the sun setting, but Icepaw was just able to see a black figure huddled at the edge of the den. It rose on his entrance, revealing dark blue pools. "Thought I could smell rogue." he grumbled.

The white tom flinched at his words. "I'm not a rogue anymore. I'm an apprentice now, just like you. I'm Icepaw."

"Marshpaw." he snorted, stretching to reveal muddy brown legs and paws. Icepaw's anxiety rose when he realised that the older cat's claws were unsheathed. "If you don't want to provoke me, I'd suggest staying out of my way."

"Why do you hate me so much?" Icepaw blurted out without thinking.

Marshpaw gave him a long measured look _W_ before responding. "You're not one of us. You don't deserve to be here. You'll never be like us because you're a filthy _rogue,_ " he spat. "You can sleep by the entrance. The rest of us won't be infected by your stench then."

With a whimper, Icepaw slowly backed out of the den, but he wasn't watching where he was going and someone yelped behind him as he backed into them. "Ouch!"

Icepaw spun round and felt relief wash over him when he came face to face with Thunderpaw, who had horror plastered over his face. "You've made me drop my moss," he gasped in mock hurt. "Now how will I build my nest?"

"Where did you find the moss?" Icepaw queried.

His friend flicked his tail in the direction of the large bush which made the medicine den. "Frogtail and Darkeyes keep all the moss, though they haven't got a lot left so you better be quick! We'll probably get lumped with collecting moss tomorrow and cleaning out dens; it's generally down to the apprentices, but I want to hunt!"

Icepaw let out a purr of amusement. "We'll learn one day."

"Well yeah, but I wanted to get straight in," Thunderpaw complained, flicking his ears. "I want to learn how to hunt and fight, not clean out gross bedding!"

 _He reminds me too much of Spark._ Icepaw's heart carried a dull ache when he thought of his bright young friend. _We'll get along, but it would be like I'm replacing her. Oh Spark, I'm so sorry..._

"I'll get that moss." Icepaw murmured after a while, brushing past his friend towards the medicine den. He had to put all past events in the past. He was a Clan cat now; he couldn't coexist with the guilt of killing his friend. Either his life or his guilt would have to die, and he wasn't willing to be consumed by grief.

He would have to be consumed by life instead.

* * *

Icepaw winced as he was lightly prodded awake by a fairly large paw. "We're not going for a little while yet, but I thought you should eat something. I haven't seen you eat anything since arriving here; you must be starved."

The apprentice was relieved to hear Minnowleap's voice, but not so relieved to open his eyes and for it to be nearly pitch black; the sun hadn't even risen yet. He wasn't used to being awake this early, but there again he was thankful that Minnowleap thought of him. Too distracted by the events of yesterday, he'd completely neglected to eat anything and his stomach felt like an empty pit.

Parting his jaws to release a yawn, Icepaw carefully rose from his nest and followed his dark grey tabby mentor out of the den towards a pile of what smelt like fish. The scent immediately hit his nostrils and made his mouth water.

"This is our fresh-kill pile. Any of our catches make up this pile," Minnowleap explained, bending down to pick up a fairly large fish in his jaws and placing it down on the ground at their paws. "The queens and elders are fed first before warriors and apprentices."

"Elders?" That term wasn't familiar to Icepaw.

"They're cats that have retired from their duties due to old age or injury," Minnowleap mewed. "We have two at the moment. Birdchirp is the oldest cat in the Clan - she mothered Pebblespot and her siblings - and Russetpelt was blinded a few seasons ago. She's Redstar's mother."

"Who are Pebblespot's siblings?" Icepaw questioned.

"Frogtail and Reedwhisker - our most senior warrior - are from an earlier litter. Pebblespot had another sister, but she died as an apprentice." Minnowleap's amber eyes narrowed suspiciously. "For an apprentice you don't half have a lot of questions. Eat up; you'll need your strength for today."

Icepaw bowed his head and sunk his jaws into the fish, his senses overwhelmed by the meal before him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten - he never tended to get much because Wild hogged most of the prey they had - but now none of that mattered. This was the best fish he'd _ever_ eaten.

Minnowleap watched over him and snorted in amusement. "Save me some."

They sat in silence eating until two cats joined them just as the sun began to rise. Minnowleap rose to his paws to greet them. "Volenose, Thunderpaw. I trust you slept well?"

"It wasn't too bad," Volenose responded in a friendly manner. "I'm assuming you're ready to go?"

With a nod, Minnowleap turned to face the two apprentices. "As a Clan cat, it's important that you're aware of your neighbouring Clans. We share this territory with two other Clans; while we may not always agree, it's important that we respect their borders. We'll be giving you a tour of the entire area and there might be an opportunity for some fight training later on."

Thunderpaw's face lit up. "Awesome!"

As the two warriors led the way out of camp, Icepaw wasn't prepared for the wind that shook his white and silver pelt. While the RippleClan territory was almost completely barricaded by trees, there seemed to be less trees as they carried onward. Thunderpaw glanced over at him. "You alright there?"

"I'm not used to this type of weather, that's all." Icepaw assured him, recollecting memories of hiding in the Twoleg nest when it got unbearably cold.

They hadn't been travelling for that long when Minnowleap suddenly halted in his tracks, lifting his nose in the air. "Something's not right," he murmured with a tinge of confusion. "Volenose, can you smell that?"

Volenose copied Minnowleap's action before exchanging a worried look with him. "AirClan. That's a fresh scent; we might find ourselves some trespassers," he told him before turning back to Thunderpaw and Icepaw. "This is serious. We need you to be mature while we deal with this. Don't try to communicate with these cats and don't do anything unless we tell you, okay?"

The two apprentices straightened up and followed their mentors. Icepaw wasn't sure what to think. _Why do they feel a need to trespass? Aren't they satisfied with their own territory?_

"Stop there!" Minnowleap bellowed suddenly. "Come here, you filthy trespassers!"

Three cats emerged into Icepaw's line of sight. The middle cat of the group - a large black tom with an overhanging tooth and yellow eyes - glared at them fiercely. "We don't bring trouble." he grunted.

"If that's so, why are you trespassing, Shadestar? Surely _you_ , of all cats, would know better?" Minnowleap meowed, twitching his ears.

 _He's their leader!_ Icepaw realised in shock. _What does he want?_

"We need to meet with Redstar," a grey tabby tom explained. "It's urgent that we talk to her."

Volenose's body tensed. "Why do you have an apprentice with you? She looks no more than a kit, and you're involving her in your politics already?"

When Icepaw glanced at the final cat, he realised that there was indeed a younger cat with them, and a small one at that. She didn't look much older than him and Thunderpaw, but there was panic flaring in her dark brown eyes, probably from where she'd been singled out. Icepaw guessed she didn't like being the centre of attention.

"She's my apprentice; I can do what I like without it concerning you," Shadestar growled. "Now, will you take us to Redstar or will we take ourselves?"

"Follow _us,_ " Minnowleap spat, turning to lead the AirClan cats back towards camp. "I apologise to you both, but we'll continue this tour another time."


End file.
